EDUCO: Teach English in Italy at Summer Camps

This was the most unexpected yet most fun summer I have ever had. Aside from earning, you'll meet different people and visit different places in Italy you haven't imagined yourself being into.

The orientation was fun yet overwhelming but it is all you need to be ready in camps. (Take notes and sing the songs when taught)

The camps are very different from each other. So being flexible is a must. So far I didn't have any bad experiences. The camp directors and helpers were really ready to help and support whatever you need in the camp. One tip, always smile, carry on the challenges and always find a way. All camps will always have a problem.

My host families were the best! They showed me different places of Italy, I had never imagined existed. They fed me lots of food that I gained 6 kilos! I was so pampered, everything I needed was given. So even after a long, tiring camp, at least you'll go back to a plave you can call home and regain the energy you lost without thinking what to cook (except if you'll stay in a bed and bfast/hotels etc.).

Families usually invite you to a trip or lunch outside every Saturday and Sunday, which I see is a plus. You'll get to see Italy's gem, and get yourself a personal tour guide. So another tip, store lots of energy.

My experience let me live life to the fullest. I was able to forget my uni/work life set up and truly enjoyed every single moment in all fun way possible. I wasn't able to imagine myself being in the places I have been to, see the high, green mountains, drink fresh and cold water, swim in a lake, drink unlimited wine and beer, have long, breathtaking rides, meet lovely people, experience cultural and traditional celebrations, and be in remote places with no internet connection, just in contact with nature.

All in all this is the best and most authentic Italian journey I will miss.

Spontaneous, unforgettable and one of a kind. I will surely do it again.

I confess to having not had a brilliant experience with EDUCO, overall.

The orientation week was, however enjoyable, and fun, although the camp coordinations asked for payment in cash, which prompted some questions. The orientation is held in a hotel, and is quite full on, and pushes one out of ones comfort zone!

Following the orientation week, new tutors are required to do a minimum of three weeks working in camps, across Italy. Busy directly after the orientation week (at the beginning of June), I stated I was available in July, which was clearly stated to the camp coordinator. Leaving after the orientation week, all was well, and I was looking forward to returning for the month of July. Arrangements had been made for my return in July.

There the fun ended.

I was messaged five days before my return flight from Britain to Italy that I was no longer able to go to Italy and work in the camps. The reason given was that too many tutors had been taken on that year. I’d like to point out two issues here. Firstly, EDUCO appears to be an unorganised organisation which evidently took on too many people, a problem it surely knew it would have, as they know how many people are needed per camp etc. It is thus, an unreliable company. Secondly, having booked my flight, the situation made the problem of the fact that in many cases flights are not refundable. Mine was not. Thankfully, one positive of this debacle was that the company did refund my flight, however this was three weeks after it had all happened.

This is my experience of EDUCO. I’d like to point out that many people have had good and fun experiences with this company, however, it’s often not all fun and games. I have been told that other new tutors were sent home as they were oversubscribed in terms of tutor numbers, an issue the company needs to sort out if they are to flourish in future years

I had the best time working for Educo this summer I cannot recommend it enough! My only regret is not signing up for longer.
From orientation all the mentors were so welcoming and helpful they created a fun and supportive environment while we were learning. We also were given a manual that broke down everything you could possibly need to teach during your time with educo, so there is no need to be nervous about teaching you are taught everything you need to know
During camps we still had the support still of mentors but also camp directors. The camp directors are all so kind and supportive. They make sure everything runs smoothly and mine always checked in that I was happy and comfortable with both in camp and with host families.
Also Sophia will be an amazing help during your time in Italy. She somehow manages to organise moving the tutors all around Italy but always has time to answer questions if you’re unsure.

For anyone thinking about this programme, all I can say is GO FOR IT!! The EDUCO programme is the perfect way to introduce yourself to teaching English, whilst fully immersing yourself in Italian culture.

It is an experience like no other, and it has encouraged me to be confident and enthusiastic not just while teaching, but in all aspects of life! The other tutors I worked with were fantastic and it was a pleasure getting to know the children in my class, and to really see their English develop!

I stayed with the most welcoming host family, who made wonderful home-cooked meals for me, and I was lucky enough to travel to Lake Garda with them during my weekend free time.

Reading other tutors experiences before joining Educo gave me reassurance that I would most likely be signing up for a positive and rewarding experience. Unfortunately, my experience with this company was not as pleasant.

Despite the unprofessional experience I had with this company, many reviews of good experiences may be genuine due to the fact that not all tutors receive the same treatment. It's a 50/50 chance of having an unforgettable summer or dealing with unprofessional treatment from the people in management positions.

During my first two weeks of camp I was placed in a unfair situation at a camp involving my camp directors. The situation was taken out of context and the treatment I received from my camp directors were unprofessional and appalling. We resolved the issue internally with the camp directors and myself.
However, despite Educo management's knowledge about the situation, given to them by the camp directors without me knowing, assumptions were made without consulting me with my side of the situation. Educo had not contacted me throughout the following weeks to clarify my part, instead I experienced a string of events that confirmed that I would be treated unjustly by Educo based on misconceptions.

I decided to send a formal complaint to management but sadly no response was sent back to me regarding my concerns. My situation was brushed off as not a big deal and I was left feeling unfairly judged by some tutors and management. My greatest disappointment with this company was false rumors spreading around amongst tutors about my situation.
It took three weeks for someone from management to address the situation with me. The conversation consisted of blame shifting and lack of eye contact from the person from management. No accountability was taken from Educo regarding their lack of communication and unprofessional handling of my situation. Educo failed to mediate a fair resolution. In terms of the rumors, I expressed that only someone from management who is aware of the situation could speak about these private matters with tutors. It was not shocking to me that the response was "not knowing how it could get out to tutors" and essentially brushing the seriousness of it under the rug. It was a defamation of my character and left me feeling uncomfortable.

In summary, my situation with Educo's unprofessional and unfair treatment is one of many other situations that occurred to other tutors. I cannot speak on their behalf but I can speak on what I experienced and give an honest review for others looking into joining Educo. The biggest points to take away with this company is that not everyone receives the same opportunities regarding the location of camps, the amount of camps you are assigned to and the support you receive from management.

I was placed in only two camps throughout a six week period and was told that there aren't many camps to place tutors in as the weeks went by. There are tutors that have been placed in less number of camps and placed on hold for a much longer period of time. My camps were both in Milan so be prepared to not get to see different locations throughout Italy unless you take a personal hold at your own expense. I spent a lot more money on food than expected when Educo placed me on hold twice (with only a €50 stipend per week). Lack of communication was also an issue where I was left on read most times.

The few positives I experienced during my time was the friendly hospitality from my host families and the friendships I formed with some of the tutors. I hope that my situation can be a learning tool for Educo and that no other tutor experiences the same treatment in the future. I believe that Educo has the potential to do better and deal with each situation in the future with more professionalism and transparency.

My summer with Educo was an AMAZING EXPERIENCE. I was blown away by the beauty of Italy, the kindness and welcome of the Italian families and the support Educo gave me and my fellow tutors throughout.

Pros
1. Getting a week of orientation - There was so much information in this week and we got a Manual packed with so much information that at first it was overwhelming but when I tell you you could sell it for 100s of euro I mean it! It has everything - including the terms and conditions if you get confused throughout the weeks what is expected of you. We were also broken up into smaller groups during orientation with specific mentors that have supported us the whole way through (Shoutout to James for always being the other end of the phone for me, especially in my first week of camp when I was suffering from a case of self doubt! #safewithJames - if you get it you are the elite!). I will admit orientation was not my finest hour of teaching but the support from the team helped me to overcome whatever wall I was hitting and I am so glad they were there or I would have gone home! (For reference I am a secondary school teacher as my permanent job)

2. The host families ... need I say more on this one! My families and I are already planning trips throughout this year to meet each other in Ireland, where I can hopefully repay their kindness towards me! I got to go camping in Venice, Lake Garda, a private boat tour of Venice and my last host mother organised for all the tutors to get a private tour of Carpignano Sesia - this included opening the museums and special buildings for us that only get opened once a year! But please don't expect to have mad things happen every day, just sitting with the families for dinner for me was more of a beautiful experience than anything!

3. The safety of Italy! This one is fairly self explanatory!

4. You don't need to have Italian - in fact its nearly better in some cases to have none (or pretend you have none) as some of the students love to test the boundaries of speaking English and Italian in the camps! Of course in the host families it would only be good manners to know a bit at least and put in the effort but that is your own personal choice.

5. Friends for life and new experiences. Because I was 23 when covid started I missed out on a lot of travelling so this was my first time properly away from home without my family with me. I was petrified but I had no need to be! Educo is an amazing place to meet new people from all walks of life and parts of the world and make life long friends, as I have this year!

6. Travel is sorted for you from one camp to another - PLEASE NOTE this does not include the weeks you have been put on hold or your first and final travel to San Remo / home but this was and is made very clear to all tutors before you arrive and during orientation - just be sure to listen and write down all the important info so you don't get confused.

7. Sophia. The woman is a superwoman!! I am incredibly grateful for her quick, kind, helpful responses. She has always been quick to respond with information not just with me but everyone. Even when I was back in Ireland she was able to answer questions and give me support when I needed it (and mind you I always forget about times so the messages came late and she still answered which I was very grateful for.) Sophia is a lady through and through and I am very grateful for her support - it eased a lot of nerves throughout this process.

Now for me, the list of positives goes on and on and on but there is only one negative but really this can be seen as a positive too - it just depends on your attitude.

Being on hold. Although the concept is difficult to get your mind around it simply means that you will not have a camp for one week, now it was made very clear to us at orientation (again write everything down as I did if you are prone to forget like I am) that you can book time off and be on a voluntary hold or it could happen that Educo doesn't have a camp for you. It is NOT THE END OF THE WORLD. I would just have a budget put aside for this week just in case before I even set foot in Italy. I wasn't put on hold through my six weeks but my week 7 was suppose to be but I went home early due to family reasons. Don't look at this negatively - look at this as an opportunity to travel and enjoy the beautiful country. Again it was said at orientation that Educo would TRY to get you in one of their two Educo apartments but that was NOT guaranteed and you would get 50 euro to put towards food but what you do in that week is up to you Educo can't be responsible for that (makes sense though because if it was the case we'd all be charging unlimited Spritz and room service on them!!) So like I said, have that budget. You could also use this time to go back to a host family. Yes, the concept does seem like you're inviting yourself over but the host families tend to be really chill about it and you could offer to teach a lesson or two of English to the children or even contact a camp director - thats what both the camp director in Montichiairi and Carpignano Sesia offered !! You will never be left on the streets you just have to use common sense and look for solutions not reasons to get annoyed.

Like I said it is down to who you are a person! Do you like children? Do you like to work and be part of a team? Do you have a positive mindset and can you go with the flow? If all these are yes then sign on up but if the answer is on then walk away because the days are intense and long, the teams need to be strong and the children pay a lot of money to attend the camps so they deserve their money's worth but the rewards are so worth it not just for you but for the memories the children get after the camp!

I am so grateful to Educo and the amazing Sophia, Charlie, Kuba, James and Daniella for all the kindness and support they have shown me through my time and I cannot wait until next year to be back with them!

This experience was not what I expected it to be, especially considering the rave reviews found here on go overseas, which is where I found this company. I would like to explain my low rating beginning with the overall positives and moving on to what I perceived to have truly diminished my experience.

The Positives:

As the previous reviews state, Italy is a beautiful country. I had a host family my first week and they were absolutely amazing! Staying with a host family helped me get situated in Italy as they shared their knowledge with me and welcomed me into the family. I believe that they will be lifelong friends, and I am grateful for the opportunity to have met them. The camps are genuinely lovely, I loved working with Italian children and had great experiences at these camps. My two-week camp in Sanremo was held in a beautiful venue by the beach. As well, our camp director (shoutout to Anna!) was lovely and made my experience there a positive one.

The Negatives:

The low review comes from, what I feel, was a lack of honesty, transparency, and communication on the part of Educo. A lot of my complaints would not be complaints if it wasn’t for the lack of information received going into the program and while working for Educo.

1. Laundry. This one may seem trivial; however, I think it plays into my main points about information and communication. From the first week of orientation I had little to no access to a washing machine and this was something that I wish had been made known to me from the beginning. I had a host family for only one week, and luckily they had laundry. The other weeks I was put in a flat (that was grimy with black mold in the kitchen and one of the bedrooms and that had exposed wires throughout), as well as a bed and breakfast. Both places were not equipped with laundry, and the 50 euro food stipend (which I will get to) was not enough to cover both food and a laundromat. The possibility of not having access to laundry should have been communicated to us from the beginning, as I would have set aside a budget for it. This would not have been the biggest deal if I had only known in advance and been able to make plans accordingly.

2. Money. As previously stated, we received a 50 euro stipend during the weeks we were not placed with a host family. A stipend that, after the first week of being in Educo provided accommodations, I had to chase the company down for. At first, this was apparently my mistake-as I was told that I needed to hand in my receipts in order to receive the next stipend. However, after handing in my receipts and emailing questions to the financial department, I received neither the money I was promised nor answers to my questions. Five emails later, I still had no response. A week and a half later, I finally received my stipends but still no answer to my questions. I had to pay a lot out of pocket over these last weeks and, if I had known this would be the case, I would have better prepared for the possibility of spending a lot of my own money.

3. Communication. The lack of communication was a constant issue for me while working with Educo. The head of human resources, Sophia, was one of the only management contacts given to us. However, since she was dealing with so many tutors, it was evident that she had neither the time nor the means to properly address each tutor’s needs. But, because this company was apparently founded in 2006, my sympathy waned considerably. There should be more people and/or departments to reach out to, answer questions and put out fires (of which there were many). Instead, many of us got last-minute information, answers, and for some, nothing more than radio silence.

The information sessions during training week gave the impression that Educo would cover almost everything, never leave you hanging, and be quick with solutions should difficulties arise. Much of this did not come across as true, and because of the initial impression given at orientation, I ended up frustrated and sorely disappointed by my interactions with Educo. Yes, the camps were fun, and Italy is beautiful, but the stress of dealing with this company worked to diminish my overall experience at an exponential rate. As a result of all the above mentioned, I made the decision to quit early and I can not, in good conscience, recommend this company.

P.S. This low review also comes from conversations had with fellow tutors and friends whose experiences with Educo were quite a bit worse than mine and completely unacceptable. However, I will leave their experiences for their own reviews so as not to put any words in their mouths.

EDUCO is simply amazing! It was such an enjoyable experience from the moment I landed in SanRemo to complete orientation right until my last camp.
I was very lucky with my host families as they were all very honest, diligent and caring people. They treated me with great respect and were so caring towards me each week!
Regarding the camps, they were such an enjoyable experience! From the helpers to the children to the outstanding camp directors …. I really enjoyed every camp I completed! Of course some were more difficult than others but I loved each of them for different reasons !!
If you are even contemplating this programme for the next year, I would say go and do it! You won’t regret it!